What the Heart Wants
by BigFandomMess
Summary: Gossip Girl here, so, our players this year: Caroline Forbes, the queen of Constance Billiard's and Klaus Mikaelson, the king of Saint Jude's. Let's not forget Katherine Gilbert, resident party girl, the mysterious new arrival Elijah Mikaelson, Stefan Salvatore, white knight, and Rebekah Mikaelson, the little princess. This is going to be an interesting year.
1. Return of the Ruling Class

**What the Heart Wants**

A/N: So, this is our newest story. It's set in the Gossip Girl universe and follows the plot of the TV show to some extent, although it is not exactly the same. For any of you who have been following our other story 'Mysteries of the Heart', it is currently on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. We're not entirely sure if we want to continue and we're taking some time to figure things out.

The title of this story is part of a saying; 'The heart wants what the heart wants'. We hope you enjoy the story and sorry for the long Author's note. Also, we don't own Gossip Girl or the Vampire Diaries. If you recognise something, it's not ours.

**Return of the Ruling Class**

_Hey Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here... and I have the biggest news ever. One of my many sources sends us this: Spotted at JFK: The Mikaelsons, plus one. Looks like that mysterious older brother of theirs has finally appeared. The final 'it' family of Constance Billard school for girls and Saint Jude's school for boys has finally returned. _

_You know you love me,_

_xoxo_

_Gossip Girl_

"I know, it's ridiculous," Katherine Gilbert laughed as she and one of her best friends, Caroline Forbes walked along the streets of New York City.

Caroline laughed. "Sometimes, Kat, I think you share too much," she rolled her eyes at her best friend. She pulled her phone out of her bag when it chimed loudly. "The Mikaelsons were spotted at the airport. Looks like they're finally back from England." Caroline kept her phone in her hand as she expected a text from Rebekah soon.

"Is there a picture?" Katherine leaned forward, interested.

Caroline frowned at her. "No. Why?"

Katherine shrugged. "No reason."

Caroline eyed her friend suspiciously. She scrolled down Gossip Girl's website. "Wait, Elena's back?"

Katherine nodded. "Sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you."

Caroline sighed, glancing up from the phone. "Well, let's hope she's doing better than the last time we saw each other."

Katherine didn't reply, she merely pulled Caroline into Bendel's. "So, are you excited for the party at the penthouse tonight? You'll finally get to see Tyler again after these long weeks of separation," Katherine made kissing noises.

Caroline stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Sometimes I forget why I hang out with you," she joked, examining the racks of dresses.

"Because I'm cute and have a good fashion sense?" Katherine suggested. "Now, come on, let's find you a dress for the party tonight."

They browsed the dresses for a few moments. "So, your love life has been unusually quiet recently."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I know, and you know that I hate being single but it's just that... These high school boys are so boring."

"Maybe you should try Damon Salvatore," Caroline quipped.

"Been there, done that," Katherine held up a dark purple dress for Caroline's inspection. "By the way, isn't your mom dating his dad or something?"

Caroline nodded her approval to the dress. "Yeah, it's really weird."

"I can imagine so," Katherine held the dress up to her body. "Anyway, back on the subject, I have decided to try my hand at college boys. Think the eldest Mikaelson'll be hot?" Katherine winked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible."

"What? You gotta admit, the Mikaelsons are an attractive family," Katherine shrugged.

"I would agree but then it'd be like I was complimenting Klaus and I'd rather jump of Brooklyn bridge than do that," Caroline scoffed.

Katherine wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ew. You'd go to Brooklyn?" The brunette shuddered. "Anyway, are you guys still on that whole rivalry thing? You've been frenemies since forever."

"He just..." Caroline mimed strangling someone. "Drives me crazy."

"Sounds like you've got a thing for him," Katherine joked, dodging Caroline's hit.

"Don't be disgusting."

xxx

Caroline tore a piece off her croissant and popped it into her mouth. "I mean, it's just like things are perfect, you know?"

Katherine shook her head. "No, I don't know. I've never been in a relationship like yours."

"I'm just so happy with Tyler," Caroline sighed contently. "He gave me this bracelet before he left for Greece for the summer," she held out her hand, revealing the silver bracelet on her wrist.

Katherine leaned forward to get a better look at it. "It's cute. But not really my style. I wouldn't have thought that it was yours, either."

"It isn't," Caroline admitted, picking her phone up from where it was on the table top at the café that they were at. "Bekah's finally texted," she said, opening the message to reveal the words 'on our way' attached to a selfie of Rebekah and Kol.

"Is there a picture of the elder Mikaelson?" Katherine asked, leaning forward to look at Caroline's phone screen.

"No."

Katherine groaned dramatically. "Must I really wait until the party tonight to know if he's hot or not?"

Caroline giggled, replying to Rebekah before putting her phone back in her bag. "I should probably go home. I'll bet mom's waiting." The blonde got up with a sigh. "I'll see you tonight, as long as you haven't already pounced on the eldest Mikaelson."

Katherine laughed, standing up as well and the two parted ways.

xxx

Caroline rode the elevator up to the apartment that she and her mother lived in. "Mom?" Caroline called, looking around for her mother, Liz.

"There you are, sweetie," Liz said, emerging from the kitchen. "What took you so long?"

"I was out with Kat," Caroline shrugged.

"Well, I picked out a dress for you to wear to the gathering tonight," Liz said, handing Caroline a garment bag.

Caroline sighed. "Mom, I've already picked out a dress for myself."

Liz sighed. "Caroline, we've been over this. I have more experience in this area, I'm a fashion designer, remember?" She placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Put on the dress, sweetie."

Caroline sighed in defeat, taking the garment bag off her mother. "Fine," she sighed.

Liz smiled. "Good," she kissed her daughter's cheek before heading upstairs to get herself ready for the party.

Caroline sighed quietly, heading upstairs after her mother, opening the garment bag to reveal a dark blue strapless dress that was longer at the back than the front. With a small sigh and a glance at the bag containing the dress, Caroline headed into her bathroom to get a shower.

xxx

Once she got out of the shower, Caroline picked up her phone to see a text from Stefan. She smiled slightly, opening it.

'Have you heard the news?' -S

'I doubt anyone in Manhattan hasn't heard' -C

'Do you think I should go talk to her?' -S

'I don't know... She did leave with no explanation and without saying goodbye' -C

'Point taken, but she is my girlfriend'. -S

' It's your choice.' -C

'Do you think she'll be at the Mikaelson party tonight?' -S

'Probably not. You know that she and Rebekah don't get on. And Klaus will pout at you forever if you don't turn up, so don't even think about it.' -C

'Ruin my fun. I'll just go talk to her tomorrow. See you tonight, Care.' -S

'Bye.' -C

Caroline smiled, shaking her head fondly as she threw the phone back down on her bed. She dried her hair and put on her dress before applying her makeup and heating up the curling iron. After an hour, she was ready for the party. Or 'gathering' as her mother called it. Caroline stared at herself in the mirror before adding one final touch to the outfit, partly to spite her mother; the necklace that her father had given her for her 17th birthday.

Caroline walked downstairs when her mother called her name. "Is that the necklace that your father gave you?" Liz asked as soon as Caroline was down the stairs.

"Yeah," Caroline touched the necklace fondly.

"Oh. Have you heard from him lately?" Liz asked as they walked into the elevator.

"Yeah," Caroline glanced over at her mother. "He's in Rome... With Stephen."

Liz let out a small sigh as they stepped out onto the street and into the limo that was waiting for them.

xxx

_Gossip Girl here. So, if you're anybody you've been invited to the party at the Mikaelson penthouse. The Mikaelsons are well known for their lascivious parties which always include copious amounts of alcohol. The new school year is starting up which means more new gossip and scandals. Will this be Queen C's ruling year, or will she fall from on high?_

_And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell._

_You know you love me,_

_xoxo,_

_Gossip Girl._


	2. Someone Like You

**What the Heart Wants**

A/N: Here's the next chapter in this story. There was some sort of error yesterday and the site wouldn't display the story but it's been fixed now, obviously. Thank you for everyone that reviewed, favourited or followed this story. Your support means a lot. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Someone Like You**

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you, too  
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said  
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead_

By the time Caroline and her mother got there, the party was in full swing. Caroline spotted Rebekah in the corner, dressed in a gorgeous red dress, and flirting with her boyfriend three months, Matt Donovan. Matt was a newcomer to the world of the rich and famous. His parents had won the lottery two years ago and they now own a chain of restaurants. Knowing better than to interrupt them, Caroline let her gaze wander the room and she spotted Kol Mikaelson talking to a man who looked remarkably like him. This must be the eldest Mikaelson. Kol spotted her and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug.

"Caroline!" Kol exclaimed, grinning. "How has New York been without my beautiful self?"

"Oh, the colour drained out of the city the moment you were gone. Everything was lifeless and dull," Caroline replied sarcastically.

"Care, this is my older brother Elijah," Kol motioned to the man next to him, who looked like he was feeling uncomfortable yet amused.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Caroline said politely, holding a hand out for him to shake whilst privately thinking that Katherine would be very happy once she got here because the eldest Mikaelson was indeed attractive.

"The pleasure is all mine," Elijah shook her extended hand.

"Caroline!" There was a squeal from the other side of the room and Caroline found herself being pulled into a hug for the second time in 5 minutes. Over Rebekah's shoulder, Caroline saw Kol drag Elijah off to meet someone else.

"I've missed you too, Bekah," Caroline smiled at her other best friend.

"Is Kat here yet?" Rebekah asked, glancing around the room.

Caroline shook her head. "No, not yet."

"I need to go talk to some people but I'll be right back," Rebekah sent Caroline an apologetic look before going off to go talk to the children of some of her father's business associates.

Caroline went to go get a drink and she looked around for either Stefan, Katherine or Tyler.

"I've always preferred you in blue, love," an accented British voice whispered in her ear.

Caroline scowled and turned around to face none other than Klaus Mikaelson, the bane of her existence. "Klaus. I knew it was foolish to hope that time away would turn you into a tolerable person," Caroline crossed her arms over her chest.

"And then who would you take your anger out on?" Klaus raised a blond eyebrow. "Besides, you know I'm far too valuable when it comes to getting information."

Caroline let out a huff but she didn't reply. She hated it when he was right.

Before Klaus could make another flirtatious remark, her white knight appeared, in the form of her final best friend, Stefan Salvatore. "I'm surprised you two haven't killed each other yet."

Caroline grinned and pulled him into a hug. "I've missed you."

Stefan shot her a grin. "Nik!"

Caroline watched as the two hugged. "Hello mate, haven't heard from you in a while."

"Yeah, Damon broke my phone," Stefan turned to Caroline. "Katherine was looking for you."

Caroline nodded and left the two to their reunion. Despite the fact that she would rather walk over hot coals than say a single positive thing about Klaus Mikaelson, Caroline did have to admit that when Stefan was around, Klaus was somewhat tolerable. The two of them had become friends as soon as the Mikaelsons had moved to New York from England when they were both 15. After Klaus' mother, Esther, and little brother, Henrik, died in a car crash two years ago, Stefan was the only person other than his siblings that Klaus would talk to. Caroline shook herself out of her thoughts when she spotted Katherine, dressed in the dark purple dress that she had bought earlier that day.

"Hey!" Katherine greeted, walking over to Caroline. "Who's the hot guy over there?" Katherine nodded in the direction of said hot guy.

Caroline glanced in the direction that Katherine nodded, and laughed quietly. "You'll be pleased to know, Kat, that the hot guy is Elijah Mikaelson."

Katherine looked Elijah up and down. "Well, if you'll excuse me," Katherine winked at Caroline before disappearing into the crowd.

xxx

Katherine wove her way through the crowd, in the direction of the handsome Mikaelson in a suit. Luckily for her, he was getting a drink. Katherine walked so that she was standing next to him and she got a drink of her own. "So, I'm guessing you're the guest of honour at this party?"

Elijah looked over at her. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"

Katherine laughed. "Well, around here pretty much everyone knows everyone and I don't recognise you."

"You could have met me before and just forgotten about it," Elijah said, turning to face her properly.

Katherine shook her head, smiling. "No, I wouldn't forget a face like yours," Katherine held out a hand. "Sorry, you must think I'm really creepy. I'm Katherine Gilbert."

"Elijah Mikaelson," Elijah took her hand and pressed a chaste kiss to the back of it.

xxx

Caroline sighed, looking around again for Tyler. When she didn't see him, she headed off to find her mother, whom she eventually found talking to her boyfriend, Caroline fought down a shudder at the thought, Giuseppe Salvatore. Caroline had nothing against Stefan's father, but it was kind of weird that her mother was dating her best friend's dad and it was kind of awkward. Caroline started to walk towards her mother but she stopped when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to see the person that she had been searching for the entire night. "Tyler!" She exclaimed, kissing her boyfriend. "You're here."

"Hey," Tyler smiled briefly at her. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Caroline nodded, slightly confused and, honestly, a bit hurt at the fact that he didn't seem all that happy to see her. She let Tyler take her hand and pull her towards this person that he wanted for her to meet.

"Hi," a pretty, dark haired girl said as soon as she and Tyler stopped in front of her. She looked slightly uncomfortable. "I'm Hayley."

"Hi," Caroline sent Tyler a surprised look. "I'm Caroline," she held out a hand, which Hayley shook.

"Hayley's staying with my family. Our dads have known each other since they were young and she was thinking about moving here, so my parents offered to let her stay with us," Tyler explained.

"Oh. That's nice," Caroline said, smiling politely.

"Hayley and I are going to go now. I promised her that I would show her some sights around here," Tyler kissed Caroline's cheek. "I'll call you later," he said before he and Hayley left.

"Bye," Caroline said quietly.

"Whoo, the eldest Mikaelson is even more attractive up close," Katherine joked. When Caroline didn't reply, Katherine's joking look turned to one of concern. "Hey, is everything okay?"

Caroline sighed. "It's just boyfriend drama," she shrugged.

"What happened?" Katherine pulled Caroline to a more quiet area of the penthouse.

"Some girl is staying with him and he completely bailed on me so that he could show her the sights of New York," Caroline admitted. Katherine sent her a sympathetic look and put her arm around the younger girl's shoulders and she gave her a small squeeze.

"Come on, Queen C, let's go find Bekah."

Caroline nodded and the two of them wove through the crowd until they located Rebekah standing with Kol and Stefan. "Hey, Stef, I haven't seen you in ages!" Katherine said, hugging him.

"I know my family is throwing this party, but it sucks," Kol said, sensing that Caroline was upset. "I mean seriously, you'd think that I was one that wasn't a Mikae-" Kol stopped talking when Rebekah stamped on his foot. Hard.

Caroline sent him a confused look and he merely smiled charmingly at her. "It's a figure of speech."

Kol was saved from any further questions when Mikael Mikaelson tapped his glass with a spoon. "I would like to thank you all for coming to this gathering celebrating the fact that my eldest child and heir is joining us here in New York. Appetisers will be served in half an hour. Thank you," Mikael stopped talking and Caroline saw that he had walked towards Klaus, who was stood near Elijah, getting himself something to drink. Mikael said something quietly to Klaus and he seemed to recoil. When he was finished saying what he wanted to, Mikael walked away and Klaus stared after him with an odd expression on his face.

xxx

A phone rang, loudly and shrilly and the three girls who were asleep groaned.

"Bekah, answer your phone," Katherine groaned, turning over onto her stomach.

Rebekah reached her hand out and grabbed the offending phone. "Hello?" She paused for a moment, listening to the person on the other side of the line. "Yeah, I'll meet you there at 7. Bye."

"Why did your boyfriend have to call you now?" Caroline moaned, sitting up.

"Yeah, R, I was asleep," Katherine complained, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Take it as revenge for flirting with my older brother most of last night," Rebekah said, getting out of the bed.

Suddenly, Caroline was reminded by the odd conversation between Klaus and his father. "Is everything okay with your family? Last night, it looked like things were tense between your father and Klaus."

Rebekah acted as if she hadn't heard the question. "So, are you guys ready for the second half of our back to school tradition?"

Caroline immediately brightened. "Croissants and Breakfast at Tiffany's!"

"That's actually a decent reason to get out of bed," Katherine sighed, getting out of the bed too.

The three girls headed into the kitchen and heated up the croissants before they walked over to the huge flatscreen TV. "What time is it?" Katherine asked.

"It's 11am," Caroline replied after looking at the clock. The three girls settled down on the couch and played the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Rebekah spoke up. "I really don't want to go back to school tomorrow."

"Who does?" Katherine asked. "At least you're not dreading going home."

Caroline sent the brunette a sympathetic look. "Maybe things will be better?"

Katherine laughed derisively. "Yeah, right. Like my parents aren't going to keep talking about how perfect Elena is and how I should be more like her."

"Well," Rebekah said in a light-hearted tone of voice. "I'm lucky. I mean, Kol is a loonie, Nik's a drunk... The only person that I have to compete with is 'Lijah."

Caroline laughed, although she knew that Rebekah was joking. Despite the fact that the Mikaelsons may be a dysfunctional family, you couldn't find one that loved each other more.

Katherine laughed weakly. "Yeah."

xxx

After the movie and ended and Katherine and Rebekah had gone home, Caroline had gotten into the shower to relax and distract herself from the fact that Tyler had some girl staying at his house. When she stepped out of the shower, she saw that there was a new message from Stefan.

'Want to hang out? -S'

'Sure. The usual place? -C'

'Meet you there in an hour. -S'

Caroline put her phone down and smiled slightly, picking out her clothes for the day and starting to get ready.

An hour later, she and Stefan were sat at their favourite café. "So, there Damon was, running out of the building with Enzo chasing him like a mad man," Stefan was saying. "And of course I asked them what they were doing, and it turned out that Damon had been flirting with Enzo's fiancée, Maggie James, although he didn't know who she was."

Caroline laughed. "Oh, how is Enzo?" Caroline asked, recalling the Salvatore's cousin with fondness. "And what about this Maggie girl? Is she nice?"

Stefan nodded. "Enzo says she's way too good for him," he grinned, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I hope I'll get to meet her someday," Caroline said, taking a sip of her own drink. "So, where else did you go, other than Italy?"

"We also went to the Hamptons and Spain, but enough about my holiday, what about yours?" Stefan leaned forward, raising an eyebrow at his best friend.

"Well, we went to the Hamptons at the beginning of the holiday and we then went to France. You know how much I love Paris, after all."

"Did you clear out all the shops on Champs Elysées?" Stefan asked, grinning.

Caroline kicked Stefan's shin under the table. "No, but I did get you a gift. But, since you're being horrible, I won't give it to you."

"Well then, I suppose I won't give you your gift," Stefan stuck his tongue out at Caroline.

Caroline rolled her eyes but gave in, passing Stefan a gift wrapped box and he did the same to her. Stefan opened his first and his eyes fell on a gorgeous leather jacket. "I knew you wanted a new one."

Stefan grinned brightly at Caroline, leaning over the table and kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you, Caroline," he said. "Now open yours."

Caroline did as he told her to, gasping quietly. Inside the box lay a pair of beautiful opal earrings. Caroline let out a squeal. "Oh my god, Stefan, I've wanted these since before I was born, thank you!" She threw her arms around her best friend, hugging him tightly. Stefan laughed, hugging her back.

"Anything for my little sister," Stefan joked.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she broke the hug. "You know that I'm not actually your little sister, you know that, right?"

Stefan smiled. "You might as well be. Besides, if things go well between our parents, we might be step siblings."

"On the one hand, I'd love to be related to you, on the other hand... Damon," Caroline said, grinning.

Before Stefan could reply, his phone vibrated with a text. "Sorry," he said, picking it up. "It's from Elena. She wants to talk," Stefan looked up at Caroline.

"It's fine, go. You guys do need to have this conversation, after all," Caroline gestured from him to leave. Stefan grinned, kissed her on the cheek and gave her the money for the lunch. Before she could protest, he was gone.

xxx

Later that night, Rebekah Mikaelson walked into a bar, heading straight for the bar, and ordering a drink. When she glanced to her left, she was surprised to see Stefan Salvatore nursing a glass of bourbon. "Stefan?"

Stefan looked up over at her. "Hey."

"You look depressed," Rebekah commented as her drink was brought over. "How long have you been here?"

"Stefan shrugged. "About two hours, give or take."

"You're tipsy, aren't you?"

"Just a little," Stefan said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rebekah asked.

Stefan sighed. "Er... I was at lunch with Caroline today, after you guys slept over, and Elena texted me to say that we needed to talk. So, I met her in our spot in the park and then she told me."

"Told you what?" Rebekah asked gently.

"At the end of school party, she slept with Damon. My brother," Stefan said, even though Rebekah knew perfectly well who Damon Salvatore was and he didn't need to explain his identity.

Rebekah placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Well, if we're going to share breakup stories, mine isn't nearly as bad as yours, but here I go," she took in a deep breath. "Matt called me this morning, he said he wanted to go to dinner together, so I met him at the restaurant and we had a lovely meal. Then, before I got in the limo to go home, he told me that he wanted us to stop seeing each other because he wanted to, and I quote, 'focus on his studies'."

Stefan winced. "Ouch."

Rebekah nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah."

"You know, I think we're going to need something stronger than this," Stefan said, gesturing at their drinks. He waved over at the bartender. "Hey, can we have some tequila and some shot glasses?"

A/N: So, that is the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Again, thanks to anyone that left feedback!


	3. Secrets

Secrets

_On the first page of our story  
The future seemed so bright  
Then this thing turned out so evil  
I don't know why I'm still surprised_

_-Love the Way You Lie - Rihanna_

xxx

A/N: I know, it's been a long time. We're sorry we haven't updated recently. It's kind of hard to live in different stories. But, here's the next chapter. Also, to all of you who also read The Powers that Bind Us, we'er working on that and hopefully, a new chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing, we hope you like the chapter. Also, if you see anything you recognise, it doesn't belong to us. All rights belong to the original owners.

Caroline tapped her foot impatiently on the concrete pavement in front of Constance Billiard's School for Girls and St Jude's School for Boys. Everyone was late. Now, the Mikaelsons were usually late because both Klaus and Kol took forever in the morning, as Rebekah often told her (though Caroline suspected that Rebekah took quite a while herself). However, it was not usual for Stefan to be late; he was usually here before she was. Katherine sometimes arrived on time, depending on how much she'd had to drink the night before. Everyone else usually arrived just before the bell rang. Caroline was brought out of her thoughts by the Mikaelson limo pulling up in front of her. Out stepped Klaus and Kol and... nobody else.

"Where's Rebekah?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms over her school uniform.

Klaus quirked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't know, I was otherwise occupied last night," he replied smugly, leaning against the limo.

Caroline made a disgusted face and turned to Kol, who simply shrugged. "I haven't seen her since the day before last," he replied. "You were probably one of the last people to see her, she did stay at your apartment after all."

Caroline absently wondered how they could be so calm over the fact that their sister had disappeared when she noticed the slight tension in Klaus' body. So. He wasn't as uncaring as he always seemed to be.

Klaus' head snapped up when another limo pulled up behind the Mikaelsons'. She smiled slightly when Stefan stepped out, looking slightly hungover and ruffled. Behind him, out stepped... Rebekah.

"Hello little sister," Kol greeted cheerily. "Out all night, what a scandal!" Rebekah rolled her eyes and kicked him hard in the shins, earning her a yelp of pain.

"Whatever, Kol," the blonde sighed, running a hand through her hair, which, unusually, wasn't curled.

"I see you've decided to change your look," Caroline commented.

Rebekah looked startled, her hand flying to her hair. "Yes, well, I didn't have very much time this morning."

"Speaking of this morning," Klaus piped up. "Where were you all night? You weren't in your bed, Elijah was worried."

Rebekah looked distinctly uncomfortable and was that Caroline's imagination or did she and Stefan share a look?

Rebekah was saved from answering by the bell and Caroline sighed. Looked like Katherine was going to be late today.

xxx

Caroline and Rebekah walked ahead of Bonnie on the way to Algebra. Once they were sat down, in seats of their choice thank god, Caroline turned to Rebekah. "What's up with you? You've been acting really weird."

Rebekah tried to look innocent. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Where were you all of last night?"

Rebekah seemed to hesitate before she answered. "Matt broke up with me because he needed to 'focus on his studies' and I was upset so I got drunk and went to a hotel and stayed there."

Caroline nodded slowly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry about Matt. That was kind of a dick move."

Rebekah laughed softly. "Well, I'll live. I'm not the type of girl whose life revolves around some guy."

Caroline frowned slightly. "Wait, if you were in a hotel, why did you end up coming here with Stefan?"

"Well, I was walking on my way here and he saw me and offered me a ride," Caroline resisted the urge to scoff. Rebekah? Walking? Outside? If Rebekah Mikaelson had to walk, she did on a treadmill in her bedroom. However, Caroline didn't comment and decided to let Rebekah keep her secrets. What harm could they do?

xxx

Halfway through second period, which was English, Katherine Gilbert finally decided to grace them with her presence. If Caroline knew her friend, then Kat had probably ended up getting drunk because Elena was back. To most people, it would be a good thing to be reunited with a sibling, but Katherine and Elena's parents had always favoured Elena, making Katherine feel worthless compared to her younger twin sister.

Katherine strolled through the door, looking glamarous as always. The teacher merely sighed; he was used to this sort of behaviour. "Good morning, Miss Gilbert. Nice for you to join us."

Katherine mock saluted him and Caroline repressed her giggles. "Well, it was either this or have a dentist drill into my teeth. I have to admit, it was a close choice."

Caroline rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics as Katherine sank into the seat next to her. Unfortunately, she and Rebekah weren't together for English this year. "How bad was it?" She asked quietly.

"It was as bad as you'd expect. Although Elena wasn't around much, she went out to meet Stefan and then came back home with tears in her eyes."

Caroline frowned. What could have happened between them? And if something had happened, why hadn't Stefan told her? As a matter of fact, what was going on with all the secrets Rebekah and Stefan were keeping?

xxx

At lunch, Caroline had the misfortune of having to sit pressed up against Klaus Mikaelson's side. She did her best to ignore him and focus on her boyfriend next to her, but it was difficult to do when Klaus was talking rather loudly about this club, Victrola, that his family had recently bought. Caroline rolled her eyes and then realised that Tyler had been saying something whilst she'd been thinking about Klaus. Damn him. "Sorry, what?"

Tyler sighed, annoyed. "I was saying that maybe after school's over, we could head back over to my place?" He suggested.

Caroline nodded. "I'll meet you outside the school."

xxx

Caroline sighed. Great. Tyler was late again. She was stood outside the school, where she said they'd meet and there was no sign of her boyfriend. Caroline muttered profanities under her breath when her phone pinged. She half expected it to be a text from Tyler saying that he couldn't make it. But it was much worse.

It was a picture. Or, more accurately, a picture of Tyler. Kissing Hayley. And that kiss was most certainly not innocent or platonic. Caroline clenched her fist and at that moment, Tyler came into her view.

"Hey, babe," Tyler greeted, bending down to kiss her but Caroline moved away, revolted. "What's wrong?" Wordlessly, Caroline held up the phone so that he could see the screen and Tyler paled. "Care... I can explain."

"Save it," Caroline snapped, shoving her phone in her pocket. "How could you?" When Tyler opened his mouth to answer, Caroline held up a hand. "That was a rhetorical question. Just... stay the hell away from me," with that, she whirled around and ran off, only stopping when she was hidden behind a wall, out of breath and heartbroken. After several moments, Caroline pulled out her phone, about to call her limo driver. But where would she go? An idea dawned in her head. What was it that Klaus had said? 'Victrola's a place to lose yourself'. Well, she supposed she could put up with the company of Klaus Mikaelson for one night.

xxx

A/N: Well, that's the chapter. Thank you for reading. We'll try to put up some more before the holidays end and I have to go back home. Sorry it was so short, but the next one should be longer.

Thank you!


	4. With Me

**What the Heart Wants**

With Me

_I want you to know,  
With everything I won't let this go.  
These words are my heart and soul.  
I'll hold on to this moment, you know,  
As I bleed my heart out to show,  
And I won't let go._

xxx

A/N: Here's our next update, finally. We're terribly sorry that it's taken so long but living in different countries does have its disadvantages. Well, this is the next chapter, we hope you like it! If you see anything you recognise, it´s not ours.

xxx

Caroline had originally intended to head home and get dressed (because who goes to a burlesque club in their school uniform?) and then head to Victrola, when she received a text message from Stefan: 'Opening night party at Victrola tonight! Nik booked the club out. Be there at 6'. Great. She couldn't turn up early now, could she? Klaus would get the impression that she was desperate or eager to see him. And they all knew that he didn't need an ego boost. She sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh, replying to Stefan's text and ignoring the billion texts from Tyler. She really didn't have the energy to talk to her cheating ex right now. She groaned, pulling a pillow over her face. Why did everything have to become so complicated?

xxx

Stefan stepped into the elevator leading up to the Mikaelson's penthouse. The doormen at the hotel recognised him by now and let him go up without a word. He walked into the foyer, his eyes scanning the area for any of the Mikaelson brothers. As much as he liked his best friend, he really couldn´t face Klaus right now. Or Kol, for that matter. Not after what he'd done. He slowly headed towards the room that he knew was Rebekah's bedroom and knocked on the door, suppressing his discomfort when the blonde opened it. "Stefan," she greeted, surprise evident in her tone. She was still wearing her school uniform and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. Stefan realised that it was the most relaxed he'd ever seen her.

"Rebekah. Hi. I was hoping that we could talk," Stefan murmured, fidgeting slightly. "About the events of last night."

Rebekah nodded slowly, looking out for any signs of her brothers before grabbing his jacket and pulling him into her bedroom. "Well then. Talk," she ordered.

"Right," Stefan said, glancing around the bedroom as he stalled this conversation. Although he knew it was best for them to talk about last night, he really didn't want to. "Well, we had sex. I've never done that with you before," he laughed awkwardly.

Rebekah sent him an unimpressed look. "I'm aware of that. But I don't see what there is to talk about. We used protection and we both agreed not to tell anyone about it. We both know how Nik would react."

"Yes. He'll castrate me," Stefan nodded. "And Kol would never stop teasing us about it."

"Exactly, so what's there left to talk about?" Rebekah raised a perfectly plucked blonde eyebrow.

"You don't have to be so crass about it," Stefan snapped, slightly irritated.

"Well you don't have to keep bringing it up," Rebekah snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wouldn't have to keep bringing it up if you'd stop acting like a child and have a serious conversation with me about this."

"Why do we have to have a serious conversation about it? There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, I don´t know," Stefan ground out, truly annoyed now. "Maybe because having sex with someone you know and care about is kind of a big deal?"

"How is it a big deal? It was just drunken sex because we both got broken up with."

"Oh, that's what you think?"

"Yeah, that's what I think," Rebekah scowled.

"Fine!" Stefan yelled.

"Fine!" Rebekah yelled right back just before Stefan turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She heard the elevator doors open and then close and she slowly sat down on her bed, burying her face in her hands.

xxx

Caroline walked into the crowded club, her eyes scanning the crowd for anyone that she knew before she spotted Klaus and Stefan in the VIP section closest to the stage. Of course. Why would they be anywhere else? She walked over to them, tapping Stefan on the shoulder before hugging him. "Hello brother from another mother," she grinned, her smile fading when she spotted Klaus. "And you."

Klaus smiled roguishly. "Hello, Caroline. That's a gorgeous dress, it looks great on you. But it would look even better on my bedroom floor."

Caroline didn't even try to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him. "And it would look fabulous jammed into your windpipe," she retorted, feeling Stefan shake with laughter next to her. Klaus didn't look the slightest bit put off. In fact, he looked very amused, his signature smirk gracing his admittedly handsome face.

"Sharp tongue as always, love," he murmured. "But as refreshing as I find your company, I can see my favourite little sister over there so if you'll excuse me," he said before heading over to where Caroline could see Rebekah, her hair curled once more, dressed in a gorgeous red dress.

"I thought he was supposed to be charming. How is that charming?" Caroline turned to face Stefan, pausing when she spotted the odd look in his eyes. "Hello? Earth to Stefan?"

Stefan seemed to come out of whatever trance he was in. "What? Sorry, it's just been a weird couple of days. He is charming, actually. Very much so. Sometimes it even makes me willing to sleep with him," he joked. "He just uses those terrible pick up lines on you to piss you off."

Caroline stared at him suspiciously. "Yeah. Speaking of, what's been going on lately? You and Bekah have been acting weird and what happened between you and Elena?"

Stefan shrugged, obviously trying to avoid the subject. "I'm really just not ready to talk about it, okay? But I promise, when I am, you'll be the first that I'll go to," he smiled reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"Touching," Kol drawled as he strode into the VIP section. "Sometimes I think you really are siblings that were just separated at birth. I don't understand those Gossip Girl readers that ship the two of you. It's borderline incest."

Caroline grimaced. "Wonderful, Kol. Thank you for putting that image in my head."

"Not a single problem, darling," Kol smirked. "But if you had to choose, would you rather sleep with Stefan or... Nik?"

"Gross!" Caroline groaned. "You're the devil, Kol Mikaelson."

"That's not an answer to my question," Kol wagged his finger at her. "You have to answer."

"Fine," Caroline grumbled. "Klaus. But only because sleeping with Stefan would be like sleeping with my brother."

"Oh, I'm flattered, Caroline. I knew you always had a soft spot for me," a familiar accented voice said behind her and Caroline whirled around, glad that the lighting hid the bright red blush on her face.

"You wish," she glared at Klaus.

"Oh yes, vividly. Every night," he taunted, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Enough, you two," Stefan and Rebekah said at the same time, sending each other odd looks as they did.

Caroline resisted the urge to scream with frustration at their secrecy and channelled her anger instead into glaring at Klaus. "Let's head over to the sofas, shall we?" Kol asked, sensing the odd energy. "Much more comfortable."

Caroline turned to follow Kol, Rebekah and Stefan when Klaus grabbed her hand and she turned to shoot him an annoyed look. "I'm sorry about Tyler. He's an idiot for having hurt you."

Caroline didn't reply; she merely pulled her hand out of Klaus' grip and sat down next to Stefan, not willing to face the fact that Klaus Mikaelson may actually have a heart.

xxx

It wasn't long before the group of friends was joined by Elijah Mikaelson, dressed in a formal business suit. He looked rather uncomfortable as his eyes scanned the club. "Hello, big brother," Klaus greeted cheerfully. "Just come from a business meeting, have you?"

Caroline carefully studied Elijah Mikaelson´s face. She hadn't really had the chance to study him properly during the party. She could now see that he had the closest resemblance to Kol out of all the siblings; they had the same dark hair and dark eyes whereas Klaus and Rebekah both had blue eyes and lighter hair. "Yes. Father seemed to think that if he had to die of boredom, he was going to take me down with him," Elijah replied, taking a seat on the chair closest to Kol, who sniggered.

"Please. If father were to attempt to kill any of his children, we all know it wouldn't be you, Lijah," Klaus drawled. "You're the golden son," Caroline thought that she heard a tinge of bitterness in Klaus' voice.

"Stop this talk of father and his business deals," Rebekah sighed. "We can be regaled with that wondrous tale tomorrow morning. I have no doubt he'll tell us all about it."

"Who will tell you all about what?" Katherine asked as she arrived, dressed in a tight black dress with her hair curled in her usual ringlets.

"Kat!" Caroline squealed, getting up to hug her best friend. "And Elena. Hi! It's been a long time," she said, hugging the younger of the Gilbert twins. "And I see you guys brought Jeremy too. Isn't he a big young for this?"

"Relax, Queen C," Katherine shrugged. "We've already told him that he's not allowed any alcoholic drinks," her eyes lit up when she spotted Elijah. "Elijah, it's good to see you again," she murmured, striding towards him, taking the seat next to him, subtly moving her chair closer to his so that their shoulders were pressed together.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her best friend´s antics, watching as Elena slowly took a seat on one of the chairs, looking extremely uncomfortable. In the year that Elena had been away, things had changed. In a way, she was no longer a part of the inner circle. Caroline watched in amusement as Jeremy Gilbert's eyes lit up as Bonnie Bennett arrived, looking out of breath. "Sorry, there was traffic," she apologised, dropping into the final seat available, just as the show started.

xxx

Rebekah stood by the bar, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. Shouldn't the fact that her father owned this establishment mean something to these people? She felt someone move to stand beside her and she turned to see a familiar profile. "Stefan," she greeted stiffly, remembering their argument from that afternoon.

"Rebekah," Stefan replied coolly. "You look great."

"Thank you," Rebekah said, touching the hem of her dress. She sighed in relief when her drink finally arrived, picking it up. "If you'll excuse me," she said, stepping to the side. Unfortunately, just as she stepped to the side, so did Stefan and the two collided, causing Rebekah's drink to spill down the front of her dress. "Stefan!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, looking regretful. "But it's not like it's a big deal. You're never going to wear that thing ever again anyway."

Rebekah looked livid. "I don't care about that, you ruined my dress."

"I don't get what your problem is. You can just buy a new one."

"Go to hell, Stefan Salvatore!" Rebekah practically screeched before storming out of the club. Stefan hesitated for a moment before running after her.

"Rebekah, wait!" He called, sighing in relief when she came to a stop. "I'm sorry, I was being rude. Look... Here," he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "The drink is kind of making the dress stick to you a little."

Rebekah scowled at him. "I don't need your pity. I'm not some lost little princess and you're not the white knight that saves me."

"Well forgive me for trying to help. I don't know why. You're too spoiled to care about anything," Stefan snapped.

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Rebekah grabbed the front of Stefan's shirt before tugging him closer to her height, crashing their mouths together.

"So..." Stefan murmured when they parted. "Do you want to get coffee sometime?"

xxx

Caroline barely noticed as the group started to trickle away. Her gaze was transfixed on the show. "Caroline?" Katherine asked, tapping her best friend on the shoulder. "Elijah's offered me a ride home. Do you want one too?" Caroline shook her head.

"I'm fine." Katherine nodded slowly.

"Okay, sweetie. Just get home safe," Caroline nodded.

"Will do," she murmured, turning her attention back to the stage. She continued watching for what felt like an eternity before she felt the sofa next to her dip as someone sat down.

"I must admit I'm surprised to see you still here, love," Klaus commented.

"Don't sound so full of yourself. I'm not staying here because of you," Caroline snapped, irked.

"I never said that you were. Enjoying the show?" He asked.

"I'll admit that it's much more fun than I originally thought it would be," she admitted reluctantly.

There were a few moments of silence before Caroline spoke again. "You know... I've got moves."

"Really?" Klaus smirked. "Then why don't you get up there?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I know what you're doing, Mikaelson and it's not gonna work. I'm just saying. I've got moves," she paused, glancing over at him. "You really don't think that I'll go up there, do you?"

"I know you won't," Klaus replied smugly.

Caroline made a split second decision. "Guard my drink," she said before getting up and heading onto the stage, resulting in cheering from the others at the club. She slowly pulled the headband out of her hair, throwing it out into the screaming crowd. She twirled around in a circle before unzipping her dress, letting it pool around her feet on the floor of the stage, leaving her in only her slip. She slowly trailed her hand up her corresponding arm, shooting a cheeky grin over her shoulder, her golden curls spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Klaus slowly got to his feet, an enthralled look on his face as Caroline turned her back to the audience, raising her arms over her head as she swayed in time with the music.

"Who's that girl?" A transvestite asked Klaus, who just slowly shook his head.

"I have... no idea," he murmured, his eyes fixed on Caroline.

"You go baby vamp!"

xxx

"Thanks for giving me a ride home," Caroline murmured for her position in the back of Klaus' limo, still dressed only in her slip with her silver cross necklace hanging around her neck.

"You were... amazing up there," Klaus murmured softly, glancing over at her.

Caroline seemed to think for a moment before moving closer to him, tilting her head up to slot her mouth over his. Klaus pulled back after a moment, pressing their foreheads together. "Are you sure?" He murmured.

Caroline didn't answer; she merely repositioned herself, placing a hand on his cheek before kissing him again. He immediately kissed her back, his hand moving to grip her thigh, his fingertips digging into her bare skin as he sucked on her bottom lip, his other hand moving to wrap around her waist and pull her closer.

Caroline made a small, breathless noise of pleasure as he slowly slid the strap of her slip down her shoulder, her hands moving into his hair to get as close to him as possible.

xxx

_Hey readers, Gossip Girl here. Seems like S and R are hiding something but don't they know that secrets don't last long in this town? And what's up with Queen C? We all thought she knew better than to tumble into bed with King K... or the back of a limo. Guess our good girl isn't as good as she seems. _

_You know you love me,_

_XOXO,_

_Gossip Girl. _

xxx

A/N: Well that's the latest chapter, let us know what you think. Just to be clear, unless the characters are reading a specific GG post, then whatever she says at the end of each chapter isn't something that's on her website but instead just a narrative.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Hungry Eyes

**What the Heart Wants**

Hungry Eyes

_I've been meaning to tell you  
I've got this feelin' that won't subside  
I look at you and I fantasize  
You're mine tonight  
Now I've got you in my sights_

xxx

A/N: So, since we've been updating so little, we've decided to update as much as possible before the Easter Holidays end. Therefore, here is the next chapter in 'What the Heart Wants'. If you recognise something, we don't own it. Hope you enjoy!

xxx

Caroline hurried up the steps to the courtyard, feeling as if everybody was staring at her. It was something that had never bothered her before but now... Now she felt as if they were the jury and she was the criminal. She smoothed out her school skirt, tucking a blonde curl behind her ear as she spotted her friends sitting at their usual table, laughing. Caroline sat down next to Stefan, smiling uneasily. "Hey," she greeted calmly, using her training to not let her discomfort and paranoia show on her face.

"Hey! Did you have fun last night?" Katherine asked, grinning over at her best friend.

"What?" Caroline asked, startled, a faint blush blooming on her face as she spotted Klaus' smug smile. "Why would I have fun?"

Katherine's brow creased in confusion. "Well, you seemed to like the burlesque show. Is everything okay?"

Caroline smiled slightly. "Yeah, of course. Sorry, I guess I'm just tired."

Katherine seemed to accept that and she returned to her conversation with Kol, glancing over at Caroline every now and then. Caroline tensed when she heard someone slide into the space next to her, a hand coming to rest on her thigh. "You know, love, if you don't want them to know, you're going to have to be less obvious," Klaus murmured into her ear.

Caroline scowled at him. "Oh please. I'm not being obvious. You're being obvious."

"I thought we were past childish accusations," Klaus smirked. "But this? Everybody will think it's just me being me but you acting so jumpy? That's definitely going to turn some heads."

"I'm just tired," Caroline murmured, looking away from him.

"And how long are they going to buy that story for?" Klaus asked, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. "Face it Caroline, you have to get better at lying. After all, you're the one that wants to keep our little... thing a secret. I don't care if everybody finds out."

"And I do," Caroline sighed. "You know, I'm surprised that you haven't yelled it out to everybody yet, despite what I want."

Klaus laughed, low and quiet. "I'm not quite as terrible as you imagine me to be, love. I'll respect your wishes."

"You'd better," Caroline meant to sound threatening but that didn't quite work. Klaus' presence was distracting her. She clenched her hands into fists to avoid doing something stupid like running her hands through his hair. "Just leave me alone, Klaus," she snapped, getting up. "Bekah, we have biology. Let's go."

xxx

Walking through the corridors had become a game of cat and mouse. Every single time that she saw Klaus she hid behind the closest thing. It was becoming ridiculous. And as much as she hated to admit it... Klaus was right. She was being too obvious. Damn him. Damn him for being right and damn him for turning her insides into jelly every time that she saw him. Damn Niklaus Mikaelson.

"You know, love, as much as I enjoy playing games, they do tend to become tiresome after a while," Klaus murmured, appearing in front of her. It seemed that Caroline had been too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice him.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, you did," Klaus agreed amicably. "And I would do that if you really wanted me to."

"What do you want, Klaus?" Caroline sighed tiredly, leaning back against the wall.

"Well, there's a long list of things," he replied. "For my mother and brother to be alive, for my father to live in some abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere, for my siblings to all be together... You're going to have to be more specific, sweetheart."

Irritation flared inside Caroline. "God, you're so annoying, you know that?"

"You can usually come up with better insults than that, Caroline," he retorted. "Come on, don't tell me that you're losing your wit."

"I hate you!" Caroline growled.

"We both know that's not quite true," Klaus replied. "There's at least parts of me that you like."

"You wish," Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I thought we'd established this. I do. Very vividly, in fact," she hit him in the chest. "Easy, love. We have more than enough time for that later."

"You're terrible," she complained.

"And don't you forget it," Klaus murmured. He was close enough now that she could feel his breathing ghost across her lips.

"I doubt anyone ever will," Caroline whispered, her lips parting. Their noses brushed and her eyes fluttered closed as his lips gently brushed hers. Suddenly, she remembered everything. She hated Klaus Mikaelson. She jerked back, flustered. "Right. Well... I'm going to go do... stuff," she murmured before fleeing (not that she'd ever admit that).

xxx

Rebekah slowly stirred sugar into her coffee, her clear blue eyes studying the person sat across from her. At the same moment, Stefan looked up at her before they both glanced away, embarrassed. "Okay," Rebekah said after a few moments, breaking the ice. "I'm going to be honest here. I have no idea what to say."

Stefan laughed, an expression of relief crossing his face. "Well, since you're being honest, I will be too," he paused. "Me neither."

Rebekah smiled as she felt the awkwardness melt away. "Usually on dates, it's all about getting to know each other but... I already know you."

Stefan nodded in agreement. "And I know you. Have done for 3 years now."

"Has it really only been three years? It feels like it's been so much longer."

"Yeah," Stefan agreed, falling quiet. "Is it just me or was Care acting really weird at school today?"

"No, it's not just you. She was acting really jumpy," Rebekah agreed, sipping her coffee.

"Maybe it's because of the breakup with Tyler. I mean, the asswipe did cheat on her, after all," Stefan reasoned.

"Asswipe?" Rebekah giggled.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean. But I do know she hasn't really talked about it or faced it yet. Maybe she needs to."

"She's not the type to just blurt out her feelings, you know that. She'll just clean and suppress her emotions, like she always does. "

"I know that. But maybe me talking about what happened with Elena will help her open up," Rebekah tensed up slightly. "Don't worry, I'm over it. Well, not exactly. She did cheat on me with my brother but I'm over her. Promise," Stefan leaned over to squeeze her hand.

xxx

After his date with Rebekah, Stefan headed to Caroline's apartment to check up on her and was immediately worried by what he saw. Caroline was on her hands and knees scrubbing the apartment floor. "Stress cleaning, are we?"

Caroline looked up, startled. "Stefan. You made me jump. What are you doing here?"

"Can't a man visit his favourite little sister anymore?" Stefan teased. "I brought muffins."

"Marry me," Caroline laughed, getting to her feet. "In a totally platonic way."

"Of course," Stefan said in a grave tone of voice before laughing. "I was hoping that we could talk?"

"Yeah, of course. Anything for my favourite big brother," Caroline grinned, leading him over to the couch. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Yes. There is, actually..." Stefan paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I told you that when I was ready to talk about what happened with Elena, that you'd be the first person that I went to and... here I am."

Caroline sat up properly, giving Stefan her full attention. "Go on."

"Well, as you know, she texted me saying that she wanted to talk during our lunch 'date'," Stefan used air quotes, causing Caroline to giggle. "And we met up in our spot by the lake and she sat me down on the bench and we chatted for a little bit about how everything was at her boarding school and how things were here and how our summers had been..." He let out a shaky breath. "And I was just about to ask her what was going to happen with us. You know, if we were going to continue as we were," Caroline nodded. She remembered how things had been before Elena had just suddenly left. Stefan and Elena had been the royal couple of their schools. Everyone had thought that they'd get married and have two kids and live happily ever after but that illusion had been shattered when she'd left not only Stefan but all of them. "And then..." Stefan continued. "And then she stopped me to tell me that the reason that she'd left was because of me. She said that she left because she couldn't bear to face me because she had sex with Damon. She had sex with my older brother whilst we were still together."

"Stefan," Caroline murmured sympathetically, pulling him into a tight hug. "God, I'm so sorry. That makes Tyler cheating on me with some random chick seem like nothing," she laughed softly in an attempt to cheer Stefan up.

"I guess so. I just... Damon's always been a bit of a dick but since he's my brother I've loved him regardless. I'd never do anything to deliberately hurt him and I always thought that he felt the same. A part of me always suspected that he liked Elena but then he had that thing with Kat so I was no longer worried. I never thought that he'd be capable of doing something like this. I don't know how I can face him when he comes back," Stefan admitted.

"When does he come back?"

"He's stopping by New York for a few days in a couple of weeks," Stefan replied slowly.

"Well, if you ever need to get away, my apartment is always open to you," Caroline offered with a smile, which Stefan returned.

"Thanks, Care. You're the best friend in the whole world," guilt flooded through Caroline's body. Some best friend she was. Weren't best friends supposed to tell each other everything?

"Yeah," she murmured softly.

"Have you spoken with Tyler recently?" Stefan asked cautiously. "After the breakup?"

"No, I haven't," Caroline admitted. "The last time we saw each other, I told him to leave me alone. He did try texting me just after the fight but I never replied. I don't really have the energy for his excuses anymore."

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked, squeezing her hand gently. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it bu-"

"Relief," Caroline cut him off. "I feel relief," she paused for a moment. "Stefan, there's something that I haven't told you that you probably should know."

"Okay. I'm listening," Stefan said, his eyes trained on her face.

"I-" Caroline was cut off by the elevator doors opening as her mom walked into the apartment. "Caroline, dear, get yourself ready, we're going out to dinner tonight," Liz said, pausing when she spotted Stefan. "Stefan, dear, it's lovely to see you. Your father was just looking for you."

"I should probably go see what he wants," Stefan said, standing up. "My father isn't known for his patience," he joked. Caroline smiled weakly. Giuseppe Salvatore was the head of the Salvatore family, a family that came from old money from back in the 1800s. Coincidentally, he was named after the man that had brought the Salvatores their wealth and Stefan and Damon were named after his sons. Caroline sincerely hoped that Stefan wasn't planning on doing the same when he had kids. Because who in their right mind would name their child Giuseppe?

"I'll see you at school tomorrow," Caroline said, getting up.

"We can talk about whatever it is that you were going to tell me then," Stefan promised.

"It's nothing important," Caroline dismissed. "Don't worry about it."

xxx

Katherine Gilbert stared up at the huge and imposing building of the Mikaelsons Inc. headquarters. It was an oddly beautiful building, built in a way so that when you looked at it, you could see that whomever owned it was extremely rich. She walked into the lobby, smiling charmingly at the secretary. "Hi. I'm Katherine Gilbert. I'm here to see Mr Elijah Mikaelson. He's expecting me," she lied smoothly. Years of growing up in the shadow of her younger twin sister had made lying become like a second nature. Sometimes she thought that she and Elena were like the opposite sides of a coin; Elena was the good side, straight As in school and a handsome, rich, steady boyfriend whereas Katherine was the bad side, she barely showed up to school if she could help it and didn't have much in the way of boyfriends, just guys that she'd slept with and then dumped. Usually Katherine was happy with her lifestyle. It was her life and she made decisions that she'd like without thinking about what her parents wanted but it was at times like this... Times where her parents and brother were fawning over Elena without caring about what she did that made her just want to change everything about herself to please them. Katherine was dragged out of her thoughts when the secretary smiled.

"Of course, Miss Gilbert. His office is on the top floor, third door on the left," Katherine smiled, nodding her thanks before heading towards the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor, studying herself in the mirror. She fluffed up her dark chocolate curls, reapplying her red lipstick, rubbing her lips together as the elevator doors opened. She strode out of the elevator on black stiletto heels that Caroline often expressed amazement that she could stand in, let alone walk in. She studied the plaques on each of the doors, stopping when she saw the plaque that said 'Elijah Mikaelson'. She took in a deep breath, straightening out her clothes before she raised a hand and knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened and Elijah's face appeared, surprise flitting across his face when he saw her. "Miss Gilbert," he greeted formally. "This is a surprise. Please, come in."

Katherine walked into the huge office, admiring the mahogany furniture, trailing a hand across the surface of his desk. "I just wanted to thank you for the ride home last night," she said, turning to face him.

"You know, you could have just called the penthouse," Elijah replied, sounding amused. He looked impeccable as usual with his perfect hair and his suit and tie. Katherine absently wondered what he would look like all ruffled. She made a silent vow to find out.

"I always find that thanks are best delivered in person, don't you think?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, leaning back against his desk.

"I've never really thought about it," Elijah replied. "But I suppose so. Although we usually just send thank you notes by way of our butler."

Katherine laughed. "You have a butler?"

"Yes. Well, not here in New York, but we have one at our mansion in England," Elijah replied.

"You have a mansion?" Katherine asked, inclining her head.

"Indeed. It's where my siblings and I grew up. Before they moved here, of course."

"Why didn't you move with them?"

Elijah looked intently over at her. "I was still in university at the time. My father and I both decided that it would be best for me to finish before coming here."

"And now you're here to learn to ropes to the family business?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I have no idea why my father insisted I come back. He is nowhere near death's door yet."

Katherine laughed, her painted red lips curving up into a smile. She found that she rather liked Elijah Mikaelson. He hadn't spent the entirety of their conversation so far staring at her chest, so that was a point in his favour. "I've never been to England. I've always wanted to, but I've never gone."

"Well, if you do ever go, you should go with someone that's been there before. If you go as a tourist, you'll miss out on all the beautiful, lesser known things to be seen," Elijah murmured, gazing at her with those dark eyes of his.

"Maybe..." Katherine glanced down, taking a step closer to him before glancing up at him, a coy smile on her face. "Maybe you could take me sometime?"

"I would be more than honoured to," Elijah murmured lowly. "But while this conversation has been lovely, I'm afraid that I have to get to a meeting," he held out his hand, which Katherine took. He then brought her hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of it, like he'd done when they first met. "Until we meet again, Miss Gilbert."

"I look forward to it, Mr Mikaelson," Katherine replied.

xxx

Caroline walked into the apartment alone. Her mother had disappeared probably to go spend some time with Stefan's dad. It looked like things were serious between them since they'd been dating for around 9 months. She hoped that they'd get married. It'd be fun to have Stefan as a brother, after all. And Damon wasn't really around much so she wouldn't have to put up with him. Caroline draped her jacket over the couch before heading up the stairs to her bedroom, pulling the clasp out of her hair, so that it spilled over her shoulders. She opened the door to her bedroom, walking inside and dropping her handbag to the floor, letting out a screech when she spotted a familiar fiend on her bed. "Klaus!" She yelled, throwing the closest object that she could find (a hairbrush) at him. "What the hell? How did you get in here? What are you doing here?" She glared at him.

Klaus grinned from where he lay sprawled on her bed. "Relax, love, your maid let me in. We didn't quite get to finish our conversation in the corridor this afternoon."

Caroline flushed. "I never said that I wanted to finish that conversation."

"Well, we don't have to talk at all, if you don't want," Klaus said, sitting up. "I'm sure we can find other things to do."Caroline huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked out of her window. This was a bad idea, getting involved with Klaus Mikaelson. She headed over to her dresser, pulling off her ring and bracelet. She moved her hair over one shoulder and was about to pull off her necklace when she felt fingers that didn't belong to her brush against the back of her neck. "Let me," Klaus murmured, his fingers deftly undoing the clasp of her necklace before he turned her around. It was in that moment that Caroline could admit what she'd been denying since last night: she wanted Klaus Mikaelson. Before she could register what she was doing, her hands moved up his chest to grip his shoulders. This time, when his lips gently brushed hers, she didn't pull away. His lips moulded to hers, soft yet firm. Caroline shivered as his hands moved to rest on her lower back before she slowly kissed him back. Klaus made a noise low in the back of his throat before his hands slid down to grip her thighs. He lifted her up and she tightly wrapped her legs around his waist as the kiss deepened. Caroline let out a groan at how deliciously wrong this felt.

xxx

_Gossip Girl here. Who was it that we spotted at a cafe looking cozy today? How do you think big brother will feel about you seeing his best friend, R? And what exactly was Kitty Kat doing at the Mikaelson offices? Has she got a certain brother in her sights? Finally, Queen C, you should know by now that it's impossible to deny King K. _

_You know you love me,_

_XOXO, _

_Gossip Girl._

xxx

A/N: That is the latest chapter, let us know what you think! We hope you enjoy it and feel free to offer any suggestions.


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